Freshwater Ecosystems
Characteristics of Aquatic Ecosystems
Marine Ecosystems
Coral Reefs
Oceans
100
Swamp
Flat, poorly drained land, near streams.
100
Plankton
Organisms that cannot swim against currents; drifters.
100
Estuaries
An area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean.
100
Coral Reef
Limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps.
100
Arctic Ocean
The ...... Ocean is rich in nutrients from surrounding land masses. It supports large populations of plankton, which feed a rich diversity of fish in open water and under the ice.
200
The Florida Everglades
Name the largest freshwater wetland in the United States.
200
Nekton
Fish, turtles, and whales are known as....
200
Barrier Islands
Often run parallel to sandy shores.
200
Coral Polyps
Secrete skeletons of limestone (calcium carbonate), which slowly accumulate and form coral reefs.
200
Antarctic
The only continent never colonized by humans.
300
Eutrophic Lake
This type of lake contains large amounts of plants as a result of high levels of nutrients.
300
Phytoplankton
A type of plankton that are the food base for most aquatic ecosystems.
300
Mangrove Swamps
Dense growths of mangrove trees in swampy areas.
300
Coral Bleaching
Coral reefs are fragile ecosystems. If the surrounding water is too hot or cold for too long, or if it is too muddy or polluted, or high in nutrients, the algae that live in the corals will leave or die. As a result , the corals turn white, a condition called .......
300
Ocean Surface
Home for many ocean organisms including plankton.
400
Freshwater Ecosystem
Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada is an example of a......
400
Benthos
Bottom dwelling organisms.
400
Salt Marshes
In estuaries, where rivers deposit their load of mineral-rich mud,...... are formed.
400
Predators
Corals are ....... that never chase their prey.
400
Deep ocean waters
Because of lack of sunlight, photosynthesis does not occur in the...... Most organisms that live here depend on food that drifts down from above.
500
Freshwater Marshes
Occur on low flat lands and have little water movement.
500
Decomposers
Other organisms that are present in aquatic ecosystems.
500
Coastal Wetlands
Coastal land areas that are covered by salt water for all or part of the time.
500
Stinging Polyps
Corals .......... capture small animals that float or swim to close to the reef.
500
Shallow ocean waters
Coastal zones that provide a rich supply of nutrients washed from land for many ocean organisms.
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